Gluing and magnetic hold-down for cushioning strips



March 17, 1959 M. VAN ANTWERPEN ET AL 2,

GLUING AND MAGNETIC HOLD-DOWN FOR CUSHIONING STRIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1956 l I INVENTORS MARTIN VAN ANTWERPEN LLOYD o. VAN ANTWERPEN ATTORNEYS March 17, 1959 ML VAN ANTWERPEN ETAL 2,

GLUINGAND MAGNETIC HOLD-DOWN FOR CUSHIONING STRIPS File d Feb. 14, 1956' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS M. VAN ANTWERPEN ET AL 2,877,823

GLUING AND MAGNETIC HOLD-DOWN FOR CUSHIONING STRIPS March 17, 1959 I s Sheefs-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 14, 1956 INVENTORS MARTIN VAN ANTWERPEN LLOYD D. VAN ANTWERPEN AT TORNEYS United States PatentO GLUING AND MAGNETIC HOLD-DOWN FOR CUSHIONING STRIPS Martin Van Antwerpen and Lloyd D. Van Antwerpen, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Vanant Company, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., 21 corporation of Wisconsin Application February 14, 1956, Serial No. 565,382

2 Claims. (Cl. 1541.8)

This invention relates to machines for fabricating cushioning and shock absorbing strips of the type shown in the Van Antwerpen Patent No. 2,504,474 issued April 18, 1950, and more particularly to an improved means for folding the sheets constituting the strips and for securing the sheets together.

The strip fabricated by the machine shown in Patent No. 2,504,473, includes a flatbase sheet, an intermediate cushioning sheet and an inner supporting face sheet. The inner face sheet is folded to form a series of outwardly projecting, longitudinally aligned substantially V or U shaped portions. These portions are in turn provided with longitudinally aligned slots for receiving the peripheral edge of the glass being protected when the strip is placed around the glass. The intermediate cushioning sheet is folded to form a series of longitudinally aligned V or U shaped cushioning peaks which lie in the V or U shaped portions of the face sheet when the sheets are united. The glass being protected rests on the cushioning peaks when the glass is placed in the slots of the U or V shaped portions in the face sheet.

In the co-pending Van Antwerpen patent application Serial Number 508,517 filed May 16, 1955, an improved means was shown and claimed for facilitating the making of slits in the face sheet to form the slots in the U or V shaped portions when the face sheet wasfolded to form such portions.

In the co-pending Van Antwerpen patent application Serial Number 553,327 filed December 15,1955, an improved means was shown and claimed for facilitating the creasing and/or scoring of the face sheet and the intermediate sheet transversely to facilitate the folding and the correct forming of the U or V shaped portions in the face sheet and the U or V shaped portionsin the intermediate sheet.

The present invention has for oneof its primary objects a novel and simple mechanism for folding the face sheet and the intermediate sheet on. the score lines to form the V or U shaped portions and for advancing the sheets in proper timed relation relative to one another to mate the U shaped portions in the intermediate sheet with the U or V shaped portions in the face sheet.

Another salient object of this invention is the provision of novel means for holding the U or V shaped portions in their correct folded position prior to being united in conjunction with a novel glue applying mechanism whereby, not only will the face and intermediate sheets be firmly united, but whereby the U shaped portions of the intermediate sheet will be correctly and adhesively secured to the walls of the V shaped portions in the face sheet.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of means for uniting the face sheet, the intermediate sheet and the base sheet together by a suitable adhesive, with magnetic means for positively holding the sheets down in close intimate contact during the 2,877,823 Patented Man 17, 1959 ICC forming means for generating heat whereby to insure the quick and thorough drying of the adhesive.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure lis a side elevational view of that portion of the machine forming the present invention and for folding the face and intermediate sheets and for uniting the face, intermediate and base sheets together;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through that portion of the machine shown in Figure 1, with certain parts broken away; I

Figure 3 is an'enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view showing the novel mechanism employed for wiping the adhesive into and on the opposite walls of the V shaped portions in the face strip prior to the reception of the U shaped portions in the intermediate strip therein;

Figure 4 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 showing the magnetic holddown table, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the face, intermediate and base sheets secured together.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views the letter F generally indicates the improved part of the fabricating machine shown in the Van Antwerpen patent above-mentioned and this part embodies novel means 10 for folding a face sheet 11 to provide equidistantly spaced V shaped portions 12 therein; novel means 13 for folding an intermediate sheet 14 to form U shaped portions 15 therein; a novel gluing mechanism 16 for insuring the spreading and application of glue to the inner surface of the face sheet and to the opposite walls of the V shaped portions 12; a gluing mechanism 17 for applying glue to the inner face of the base sheet 18, and a novel magnetic hold-down and drying table 19.

The machine part F also includes a suitable frame 20, for the various parts above enumerated and in actual practice this frame forms a continuation of the frame of the scoring and feeding machine shown in the copending application Serial Number 553,327 heretofore mentioned,

As illustrated, the frame 20 includes a series of upright side standards 21, 22 and 23 and the lower ends of these standards are all connected together by side longitudinally extending base beams 24. Thebase beams can rest on cross sills 25 should such be desired. The side beams 21 and 22 are also connected by upper and lower brace beamsw26 and 27. The brace beams 26 and 27 also carry side uprights 28 which form supports for certain parts of the mechanism as will later appear. The side uprights 23 are also connected to the adjacent side uprights 22 by longitudinal brace beams 29 which also form supports, for certain mechanism. The magnetic holddown and drying table 19 can also form a part of the frame 20 if such should be desired, but we haveshown the ,table as including corner legs 30 and these legssupport the table proper, which will be later set forth. In front of the table 19 are arranged uprights 31, for a purpose which will also later appear. The face sheet 11 and the intermediate sheet 14 are fed directly in their scored condition from the machine shown in our copending application Serial Number 553,327 and the means 10 as heretofore stated, folds the face sheet to form the V portions 12 and the mechanism 13 folds the intermediate sheet 14 on its creases or scores to form I the U shaped portions 15.

The mechanism 10 for folding the face sheet on its creases or score lines includes an endless forming belt 32 embodying side chains 33 and transversely extending equidistantly spaced fiat holding bars 34 formed from iron or steel or other material having magnetic properties. This endless belt 32 is trained about sprocket wheels 35 keyed or otherwise secured to a drive shaft 36 rotatably carried by the uprights or standards 31. The forming chain at its rear end is trained about sprocket wheels 37 keyed or otherwise secured to a supporting shaft 38 and this shaft is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by the uprights or standards 21. The lowerrun of the forming chain travels over supporting wheels 39, keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 40 rotatably mounted in bearings mounted on supporting bars 41 forming a part of the frame 20. This provides a horizontal stretch of the forming chain between the sprockets 37 and the wheels 39, for a purpose which will later appear. The lower run of the sprocket then travels downwardly at an angle and over guide sprocket wheels 42 keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 43 rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the uprights or standards 22. The shafts 36 and 43 are in the same horizontal plane and define a lower elongated chain stretch which travels over and in close proximity to the hold-down table 19. As illustrated, the shaft 36 has also keyed thereto a drive sprocket wheel 44 around which is trained a drive sprocket chain 45 leading from any suitable source of power. If desired, idle sprockets 46 can be carried by the frame for supporting an intermediate part of the upper run of the forming sheet 32.

The sprocket wheels 37 are preferably connected by equidistantly spaced supporting bars 47 and these bars engage and support the forming bars 34 of the chain as the chain travels around the sprockets 37. The purpose of this will now appear.

Cooperating with the forming chain 32 is a short folding chain 48 and this chain 48 is mounted below the first horizontal stretch of the lower run of the forming chain. The folding chain 48 travels over sprocket wheels 49 keyed or otherwise secured to a transversely extending shaft 50 mounted for rotary movement in bearings carried by the uprights or standards 21, and it is to be noted that the shaft 50 is in the same vertical plane as the shaft 38. The front part of the chain is trained over sprocket wheels 51 which are keyed to the shaft 40 between the supporting wheels 39. If desired, idler sprocket wheels 52 can be provided for supporting an intermediate part of the upper run of the folding chain 48 and these sprocket wheels 52 are mounted on a suitable shaft supported in bearings on the frame 20. The folding chain 48 includes side chains 53 connected by transversely extending folding bars 54 and the timing of the travel of the forming chain 32 and the folding chain 48 is such that the folding bars 54 ride between the forming bars 34 of the chain 32. The folding bars 54 are of (in the present form) a V shape in cross-section and the entrance of these folding bars 54 between the forming bars folds the face sheet 11 on its creases or score lines to define the V shaped projections 12 therein. It is understood, of course, that the face sheet is fed forwardly between the lower run of chain 34 and the upper run of chain 48. Obviously, if U shaped projections are being formed in the face sheet, then the bars 54 take the form of a U shape in cross-section. The sheet 11 is fed forwardly at a certain given rate and in timed relation to the travel of the belts 32 and 48, so that the creases or score lines will be properly positioned relative to the forming bars 34 and the folding bars 54. It is also highly desirable that the sprocket wheels 37 and 49 be driven at the exactrate of speed and in proper timed relation relative to one another. Hence the sprockets are geared or operatively-connected together for synchronous movement. In the drawings, we have shown the shaft 50 provided with a sprocket wheel 55 around which is trained a timed sprocket chain 56. The upper end of the chain 56 is trained about an idle sprocket 57 rotatably carried by the frame 20 and an intermediate portion of the chain is in driving connection with a sprocket wheel 58, keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 38 carrying the sprocket wheels 37. Thus not only is the folding chain 48 driven from the chain 32, but the same is also driven at a proper desired speed so as to keep the bars 54 always between bars 34 of chain 32 as these chains travel. As heretofore stated, the pushing of the sheet by re bars 54 between the bars 34 forms the V shaped projections 12 and these V shaped projections 12 stay between the bars during the continuous forward travel of the lower run of the belt 32. The means 13 for forming the U shaped projections in the intermediate sheet 14 also includes an endless folding belt or chain 59 and this chain cooperates with the lower horizontal stretch of the forming chain 32. This chain 59 travels over sprocket wheels 60, keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 61 rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the upright 22 and it is to be noted that the shaft 61 is in the same vertical plane as the shaft 43. The forward part of the folding chain 59 is trained about guide sprockets 62 and these sprockets are keyed or otherwise fastened to a transversely extending shaft 63 rotatably mounted on one of the brace bars 29. An intermediate part of the upper run of the folding belt 59 can be supported by idle sprockets 64, keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 65 rotatably mounted on the frame.

The folding belt or chain 59 includes side chains 66 and transversely extending folding bars 67 and these bars are adapted to travel between the forming bars 34 of chain 32. The intermediate sheet 14 is fed forwardly between the chains 32 and 59 so that the creases or score lines formed therein will be transversely aligned with the forming bars 34 and the folding bars 67 and hence as the folding bars 67 enter between the bars 34 the intermediate sheet will be folded to form the U shaped pro jections and these projections will be forced into the V projections 12 of the face sheet 11.

The shafts 43 and 61 are driven in proper timed relation relative to one another so as to insure the interfitting of the bars 67 and 34 and in order to accomplish this, we provide a drive sprocket chain 68 which is trained about a sprocket wheel 69 keyed to the shaft 61. The upper part of the sprocket shaft 68 is trained about an idle sprocket wheel 70 rotatably carried by the frame 20. An intermediate part of the sprocket chain is in driving engagement with a drive sprocket wheel 71, 'keyedor otherwise secured to the shaft 43.

Forming an important feature of the invention is the means 16 employed for applying glue or other adhesive coat to the inner surface of the face sheet 11 and to the inner surfaces of the facing Walls of the V shaped portion 12 of the face sheet, so that the intermediate and face sheets will be firmly united together with the V shaped portions 15 adhesively secured in the peaks or V shaped projections 12. This means 16 includes a pot 72 for the glue or adhesive, and this pot is firmly secured to a part of the frame 20 and preferably the vertical brace bars 28. A pick up and applying roller 73 is keyed or otherwise fastened to a shaft 74 rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the frame or pot and this roller engages the inner surface of the face sheet and during its rotation picks up the glue and applies the same to said face sheet. This roller 73 is power driven, by means, which will be later set forth, but it is to be noted that the shaft 74 has keyed or otherwise secured thereto a sprocket wheel 75. The means 16 also includes a pair of equidistantly spaced transversely extending :rotatable brushes 76 and 77 and these brushes are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame and the brushes are power driven, as will be later described. The ends of the brush shafts, however, have keyed or otherwise secured thereto, sprocket Wheels 78 and 79. The brushes 76 and 77 are located between the glue pot 72 and the shafts 43 and 61 at a point just prior to the meeting of the sheets 11 and 14. The brushes 76 and 77 rotate in opposite directions and the rotation of these brushes and the location thereof form an important part of this invention.

Now referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that the brush 76 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction and is located in relative close proximity to the face sheet 11 so that the brush bristles will be sprung back against their inherent resiliency and the brush bristles tend to spread the adhesive, indicated by the reference character 80, over the inner surface of the sheet 11 and to pick up'excess adhesive therefrom. As the bristles ride into a peak or V shaped portion 12 the bristles spring back toward their normal position and forcibly carry the adhesive against the adjacent inner face of a peak or V shaped portion 12 and thus this surface of the peak or V is covered with the adhesive.- As the sheet travels forwardly the brush 77 rotating in a clockwise direction spreads the adhesive evenly over the inner face of the sheet and the bristles of this brush are sprung back against their inherent resiliency. When the bristles ride into a peak or V the same tend to spring back to their normal position riding into a V and carrying the glue or other adhesive forcibly against the opposite inner wall of the V or peak, thus bringing about the coating of this wall. Hence, prior to the bringing together of the sheets 11 and 14 the inner faces of the walls of the Vs or peaks are coated. As the intermediate sheet 14 is folded into the V shaped projections the same will be forced into the V shaped peaks 12 as heretofore mentioned, and the sheets are united together and the Us 15 of the sheet 14 are secured to the inner surface of the peaks or Vs 13. The glue applying roller 73 is driven from the shaft 43, which is in turn driven by the engagement of the sprocket wheels 42 with the forming chain 32. Sprocket chain 74' is driven from the shaft 43 and is trained about the sprocket wheel 75.

After the bringing together of the sheets 11 and 14 the base sheet 18 is brought into contact with the intermediate sheet and secured thereto by suitable adhesive. This sheet 18 is fed over a series of guide rollers 81 carried by the frame 20 and these rollers are located below the lower run of the chain 32 and certain of the rollers are so arranged as to feed this sheet over a rotatable adhesive applying roller 82 mounted for movement in a glue pot 83. This glue pot is also secured rigidly to the frame 20. Directly above the adhesive applying roller 82, we provide a rotatable spreading brush 84 also rotatably mounted on the frame 20. This spreading brush is power driven, as will now appear. It is to be noted, however, that the brush 84, the roller 82 and the glue pot 83 form a part of the gluing mechanism 17 heretofore mentioned. The base sheet 18 is fed forwardly from the brush 84 over one of the guide rollers 81 into intimate contact with the lower face of the intermediate sheet 14 and the travel of the sheets 11 and 14 pulls the base sheet 18 forwardly therewith and all of the sheets are firmly united by the adhesive.

Now referring to the drive for the brush 84 and the drive for the brushes 76 and 77 and the folding chain 59, it can be seen that an electric motor 85 of the desired rating is secured to the frame 20 and this motor is operatively connected to the input shaft of a speed reducing mechanism 86, by means of pulleys and a connecting belt 87. The output shaft of the speed reducing mechanism is connected by sprockets 88 and 89 and a belt 90 to a main drive shaft 91 which extends transversely of the frame 20 and this shaft is rotatably carried by the frame. Also keyed to the shaft 91 is a drive sprocket 92 and this drive sprocket has trained thereabout an endless drive chain 93. One part of the chain is trained over a sprocket 94 carried by the shaft of the brush 84 6 and this chain is then in turn trained about the sprocket wheels 78 and 79 for the brushes 76 and 77.

During the setting of the adhesive, it is advisable and necessary to hold the three sheets in intimate contact and it is also desirable to provide means for facilitating the setting of the adhesive and hence the three united sheets are brought over the magnetic hold-down and drying table 19 by the lower run of the chain 32.

This magnetic hold-down and drying table 19 extends longitudinally of the machine for a certain desired distance and the time of travel of the sheets over this table is such that as the sheets leave the table the adhesive will be dried and the sheets will be united as a single article.

As heretofore brought out the table is supported at the desired height on corner legs 30 and the tabletop is of a hollow construction and has arranged therein a series of large electromagnets 96. The table top 95 includes side plates 97 of iron, steel or similar material and in actual practice the flux set up by the magnets upon the energizing thereof is such that the iron or steel bars 34 of the belt 32 are pulled down at the center and sides of the table. The pulling down of these bars toward the table insures the pressing of the three sheets 11, 14 and 18 together. The magnets generate a certain amount of heat and this heat is suflicient to thoroughly dry out the adhesive. Thus the magnetic hold-down table 19 serves a dual purpose, namely, of supplying heat to dry the adhesive and as means for holding down the bars 34 so that the sheets will be held tight together.

The completed article with the three adhered sheets leave the table and then the article is advanced to another portion of the machine, not shown, which does other work on the article, as will be set forth in another application for patent.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what we claim as new is:

1. In a machine for producing a series of equidistantly spaced transversely extending article supporting and cushioning peaks in a pair of sheets weakened on transverse score lines with the peaks inter-fitting comprising a frame, means for feeding the sheets forwardly through the frame including an endless forming belt having a series of equidistantly spaced forming bars, a second endless folding belt including a plurality of transversely extending equidistantly spaced outwardly projecting folding bars, said belts having adjacent runs in close proximity for receiving one sheet therebetween, the folding bars entering into the first mentioned belt between the forming bars thereof and carrying portions of said first sheet therewith to form peaks, and a third endless belt disposed in front of the second mentioned belt and including a series of equidistantly spaced folding bars, said third mentioned belt having a run in close proximity to a run of the first mentioned belt for receiving the two sheets therebetween, the folding bars of the third belt entering into the first belt between the forming bars thereof for carrying portions of the second mentioned sheet therewith to form cushioning peaks and to carry the cushioning peaks into the peaks of the first sheet, and means for applying an adhesive to the inner face of the first mentioned sheet prior to the engagement of the two sheets by the third belt including a coating roller engaging the inner face of the first sheet and oppositely rotating spreading brushes engaging the inner face of said first sheet as the first sheet leaves the coating roller, said oppositely rotating brushes having brush bristles normally extending radially from the axis of the brushes a greater distance than the distance of the axis of the brushes from the sheet, the brush bristles being sprung back by their engagement with the inner face of the first sheet, said brush bristles springing back to their normal position upon entering the peaks to apply adhesive to the opposite inner faces of said peaks.

2. In a machine for producing a series of equidistantly spaced transversely extending article carrying and cushioning peaks in a pair of sheets weakened on transverse score lines with the peaks interfitting, comprising a frame, means for feeding the sheets forwardly through the frame including an endless forming belt having a series of equidistantly spaced forming bars, a second endless folding belt including a plurality of transversely extending equidistantly spaced outwardly projecting folding bars, said belts having adjacent runs in close proximity for receiving one sheet therebetween, the folding bars entering into the first mentioned belt between the forming bars thereof and carrying portions of said first sheet therewith to form peaks, and a third endless belt disposed in front of the second mentioned belt and including a series of equidistantly spaced folding bars, said third mentioned belt having a run in close proximity to a run of the first mentioned belt for receiving the two sheets therebetween, the folding bars of the third belt entering into the first belt between the forming bars thereof for carrying portions of the second mentioned sheet therewith to cushioning peaks and to carry the cushioning peaks into peaks of the first sheet, and a base sheet movable into intimate engagement with the second sheet, means for applying an adhesive to the inner face of the base sheet prior to the engagement of the base sheet with the second sheet, and a heated drying table extending longitudinally of the first endless belt over which the three united sheets travel, and means for holding the three sheets down on said table in intimate contact therewith during the travel of the sheets over the table including the forming bars of the first belt, said forming bars of the first belt extending transversely of the table, and said forming bars of the first belt having magnetic properties and said table including electromagnets for attracting said last mentioned forming bars and said magnets forming the heating means for the table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,207 Steinmann Apr. 26, 1932 2,219,065 Bruker et a1. Oct. 22, 1940 2,504,473 Van Antwerpen Apr. 18, 1950 2,688,322 Weyerhaeuser Feb. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 153,556 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1921 

